


No Plan

by The_Ghost_King



Series: Hozier Inspired [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Basically existentialism and running away, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Boys running away together to escape responsibilities, Brian Banner's A+ Parenting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Holding Hands, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by a Hozier Song, M/M, Mentions of the happenings in Avengers, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Not Iron Man 3 Compliant, Post-Avengers (2012), Running Away, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros, Science Project, Song: No Plan (Hozier), Title from a Hozier Song, Tony Stark is Iron Man, and feelings, fuck i love hozier, mixed with a bit of hatred of your parents, no spoilers for anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-07-25 13:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20026897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Ghost_King/pseuds/The_Ghost_King
Summary: After his father's been put in jail for his mother's murder Bruce goes to live with his Aunt and cousin Jennifer. He starts senior year with her and this is where he meets Tony Stark.Who he runs away with during Spring Break.





	1. For Starts

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah this series isn't dead just yet, school is finished so I've got way more time to write and get stuff out (when I can get my depression to leave me the fuck alone).  
Either way, this fic was inspired by [ No Plan ](https://youtu.be/gXq_J29V5Io) as always by our lord and saviour Hozier.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! (and maybe leave a comment, if you want)

Bruce is used to running. Used to disappearing with no thought of ever returning even when he yearns for what he’s left behind. He’s never ran away  _ with _ someone before though and he’s somehow not surprised that Tony is the first one to run away with him. 

* * *

The first day of senior year was something Bruce had been dreading since he moved in with his aunt and cousin Jennifer after his mom’s death and his father’s trial. He’s younger than the other seniors, his clothes hang around his thinnish frame like a burlap sack, nothing fits and neither does Bruce. 

He’s looking at the floor the whole time he and Jennifer walk to homeroom, taking in his surroundings just enough not to bump into other students and to not lose Jen in the crowd.

Jennifer is effortlessly making some slight small talk as they walk. Greeting some of her friends or acquaintances and quickly introducing Bruce who does nothing more than slightly look up and wave. Even some teachers stop her on occasion, asking how her summer was and if she’s worried about senior year. She’s so incredibly at  _ ease _ in this environment and Bruce envies her that ability.  _ Ease _ is a word that barely exists in his vocabulary. 

They’re the first to arrive at the classroom and their homeroom teacher, Mr Coulson, is already there. Jen walks over to him and makes some small talk as Bruce tries to slink to a desk next to the door. Jen stops his retreat with a look and says, “Mr Coulson, this is my cousin Bruce.”

Mr Coulson looks at Bruce. He wipes his hands on his jeans. He’s opening and closing his mouth but no sound comes out. He’s just looking at Coulson, his breath quickens.

_ Say something idiot, say something _ he thinks.

“H-Hello,” Bruce says. Mr Coulson steps towards him and moves his hand.

Bruce flinches.

Time stands still.

_ Idiot _ he thinks, it bounces around his head, drowning everything out. His dad always got upset when Bruce stuttered. He said that Bruce was already “A fucking disappointment Rebecca, he can’t even fucking talk right.”

“Bruce,” Mr Coulson says. Bruce flinches again but quickly composes himself.

Mr Coulson stands right in front of him, a bit too close for Bruce’s comfort. He takes a step back.

“Are you alright, Bruce?” Mr Coulson asks. Bruce nods. 

“I’m fine sir,” he says. Mr Coulson looks as if he wants to say something more but decides not to.

“Alright. Nice to meet you, Bruce. I have a feeling that I’ll enjoy having you in my homeroom this year.”

Bruce doubts it but doesn’t object. 

Jennifer and Bruce sit down. Bruce in the desk next to the door and Jen behind him. Soon after they are seated other students start to trickle in. The warning bell rings and Mr Coulson stands up to take attendance. Just before the second warning bell, a student walks into the classroom. He looks somewhat flustered but as soon as he steps through the door he straightens out his posture and lifts the corner of his mouth in a half-smirk. 

The boy has neatly styled curly brown hair, nothing like Bruce’s own messy mop, and he wears tight jeans and an  _ AC/DC _ T-shirt. His backpack is slung over one shoulder.

Mr Coulson sighs at the sight of him.

“Tony,” he says, “I’m so glad you too could join us this fine morning. Without being late for class even.”

Tony grins at Mr Coulson’s words and starts making his way towards an empty seat. 

“You know how hard I try Coulson, I’ve got a reputation to uphold.” 

Tony’s appearance has caused a bit of a ruckus to unfurl in the class but as soon as Mr Coulson clears his throat they all go silent. Mr Coulson does a roll call and the class starts.

Later, when he and Jen are walking to their next class, Bruce asks her who Tony is.

“He’s Tony Stark,” Jen says, looking at him with surprise. “The son of Howard Stark, CEO of Stark Industries. I figured you’d know that. He’s a child genius too.”

“Oh.” 

Bruce has heard of Tony Stark, the eccentric son of billionaire Howard Stark. He’s known that Tony is a genius but he’s only ever seen Tony Stark in a perfectly tailored suit, with his hair slicked back, smiling for the press. That Tony had been a public figure, a celebrity and this Tony, the one from class, is a person. Like the rest of them.

The rest of the school day drags on without a problem.

Bruce sits with Jen at lunch and makes some small talk with people in his chemistry class. 

He recognises Tony throughout the day, sitting with his friends at lunch. Talking back to teachers in the few classes they share. Walking through the hallways.

There is something about him that keeps drawing Bruce’s attention. An inexplicable charm that Bruce can’t ignore, but he wants to.

Bruce Banner enjoys living life in the shadows, he enjoys being unknown and unbothered. The less noticeable he is the safer. He’s come to appreciate any safety he can get. Tony is nothing like that. Tony is loud and vibrant and always present and Bruce wants nothing to do with it.

Until he’s forced to.

They’re paired together in chemistry class for a practical. Their teacher, Mr Pym, puts them together because they’re both miles ahead of their peers and he, “Couldn’t be bothered to make a new assignment tailored to the two of them” so now they have to create their own assignment. They’ve got to set up their own experiment and everything. The only instruction is to make something non-lethal that has no potential to be dangerous.

Tony smiles at Mr Pym’s rules and says, “But there’s no fun in that, is there Brucie?”

Bruce shrugs and mumbles his dissent under his breath, too soft for Tony to hear. Mr Pym scoffs at them. Bruce’s heart skips a beat

In the initial stages of their partnership, they both keep their distance. Bruce is too nervous and uncomfortable around Tony. Being near the genius makes him want to bolt (as a lot of things still do), but he can’t because they have to work on this together.

Something that surprised Bruce about Tony is the quiet that surrounds him as he works. He handles the chemicals with care and does all his work on time. He makes quips and jokes around with Bruce, of course, but he treats their project with a tenderness that Bruce hadn’t expected from him.

Which probably says more about Bruce than it does Tony.

They work on their project at school, during free periods and after school. They have their own spot in the library and a semi-established routine.

Bruce keeps all their papers in his locker so he’s the one who brings them to the library and Tony takes snacks and any digital material they need. They spend about an hour working on their project before they pack up, choose when to meet again and go their separate ways.

However, this time Tony hasn’t shown up. He’s been a bit late before but he always sends a text explaining why. It’s been ten minutes and Bruce hasn’t heard a peep from Tony about his whereabouts.

He’s starting to worry.

He shoots him a few texts, that all go unread and eventually decides to pack his bag and put their stuff away.

He’s overthinking Tony’s absence all night. Wondering if he’s fucked up somehow, or that Tony finally realised that Bruce is a major fuck up and no longer wants to associate with him, the project be damned.

He dreams that night, about his father and gets nothing but a measly hour of sleep altogether. Too worried that the shadows will transform into Brian Banner or his mother’s ghost.

Tony isn’t in school for the rest of the week. Every news station is talking about the death of Howard and Maria Stark and Tony is radio silent. Bruce wants to call him, ask if he’s alright, but he doesn’t know if he’d be wanted, so he says and does nothing.

The disappointed voice in his head that calls him a coward sounds a lot like his father.

Tony is back in school a week after his parents’ death. He’s done all his homework for once, and even made some progress on their chemistry project. Bruce looks him in the eyes and he’s met with blankness and an attempt at a smile. Bruce thinks it looks much more like a grimace than anything else.

It’s not a good look on Tony, Bruce sees those dead emotionless eyes every day when he looks in the mirror. Tony deserves better than that.

“Condolences,” is the first thing Bruce says to Tony when he sees him again.

“Thank you,” Tony says and it’s all Tony Stark public persona and not at all  _ Tony _ , the genius with a heart of gold who loves science above all. 

Bruce wants to bring him back.

“I lost my mother not too long ago,” Bruce says, “I was there when my father killed her.”

It’s the first time Bruce has brought it up since the trial and something in his chest breaks as he says it. He thought he’d come to terms with what had happened, to an extent. He hasn’t had a nightmare about his father in months (if you don’t count the one he had a week ago), he doesn’t flinch when people yell or raise their hands (as much) anymore. But he mentions his mother once and immediately becomes a blubbering mess. He’s crying, fat tears running down his cheeks. Tony’s become all blurry and there’s a ringing in Bruce’s ears.

“Sorry,” he says wiping his tears away, “I wanted to comfort you, not spill my tragic backstory and cry.”

Tony chuckles and reaches up to wipe a tear from Bruce’s cheek. His hand lingers a second longer than is strictly acceptable.

“You’re the first to express your genuine condolences and you don’t even like me. You’re all good in my book,” Tony says.

“I like you,” Bruce says.

“Yeah, that’s why you never initiate conversations and always seem annoyed when I do,” Tony says in a self-deprecating tone.

Bruce is taken aback by Tony’s words. He’d never known the other boy perceived him that way.

“I don’t talk a lot in general and you might not be aware of it but you’re kind of a genius which is kind of really intimidating.”

“Yeah but like you’re super smart too, I’m pretty sure you’re smarter than me. You have less difficulty with connecting concepts than I do. If I’m going to change the world, you’re going to change the galaxy.” 

There’s a conviction in Tony’s tone that Bruce can’t handle. He’s blushing and feels incredibly warm. He doesn’t know how to react to compliments at all.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, “You wanna get back to work?”

Tony nods and they get their stuff out. 

From that moment forward something shifts in their dynamic. It’s less lab partners and more tentative friends.

(Sometimes in the middle of the night Bruce is okay with admitting to wanting  _ more _ ). 

Tony sits with him and Jen for lunch sometimes. Whenever he interacts with Jen he pulls up the mask that he lets down around Bruce. Tony Stark public figure is charismatic but hard to get close to but  _ Tony _ is soft, smoothed out edges. He’s tactile and funny. He’s got stars in his eyes and listens attentively whenever Bruce says anything. Regardless of how trivial it is. Bruce has never felt so  _ seen _ before, he never wants it to end.

He’d figured it out quick what the feeling is. How his heart flutters whenever Tony smiles at him or says his name. Why he gets goosebumps whenever Tony absentmindedly trails his fingers along Bruce’s arm. Or when he stands right behind Bruce to look at his work, close enough that Bruce can feel his warm breath on the back of his neck.

Bruce goes out of his way to get those touches too, which Jen notices instantly and teases him about relentlessly. Bruce doesn’t mind because he gets Tony’s head resting on his chest out of it. 

By the start of Spring break, the two of them are inseparable and Bruce has fallen far enough that he’d do anything for Tony, anything he’d ask. 

It’s only natural then that when Tony shows up at Bruce’s house, crying in the middle of the night, and tells Bruce to run away with him he says yes.


	2. There's No Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _There's no plan, there's no race to be run_
> 
> _The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun_
> 
> _There's no plan, there's no kingdom to come_
> 
> _I'll be your man if you got love to get done_
> 
> _Sit here and watch the sunlight fade_
> 
> _Honey, enjoy, it's gettin' late_
> 
> _There's no plan, there's no hand on the reign_
> 
> _As Mac explained, there will be darkness again_

Tony's car was parked further down Bruce's street. Bruce climbed in carefully and dropped his backpack with necessities in the backseat. Tony sat in the driver's seat and went to start the car. Bruce stopped him.

"Tony," he’d said, "What's wrong?" Tony hadn’t answered him and he hasn't spoken at all for the hour that they've been in the car together. Instead, he's been completely quiet and still, his eyes focused on the road like a laser, whilst silent tears rolled down his cheeks.

He looks rumpled, like the decision to come to leave and pick Bruce up was last minute and unplanned. The black T-shirt he's wearing is inside out and his hair is sticking up on one side. As if Tony had been sleeping and something had happened that made him decide to get away as quickly as possible. 

Eventually, the two of them arrive at a motel. Tony still hasn’t said a word to Bruce when he goes to get them a room for the night. 

Bruce had initially taken the silence for something fuelled by anger or resentment. There'd been moments where he himself hadn't been able to talk because of his own anger in the past. It’s the only thing in which he takes after his father. 

He hates it.

Once they arrive in the motel room though he realises that the silence has nothing to do with anger or anything of the sort. 

There is only one bed in the room and Tony drags him on to it without preamble, holding onto Bruce tight and letting out shaky sob after shaky sob.

Bruce wants to ask what's wrong but refrains, Tony will tell him when he's ready, and he does.

"It's uhm, it's Jarvis," Tony says, his voice cracks on the last word and he takes a shuddery breath. 

Bruce knows who Jarvis is, he's Tony's butler and someone Tony admires deeply. They don't talk about the Stark household, or family in general, much but Tony talks about Jarvis a lot, whether he realises it or not. 

Tony mentioned him whenever he brought his own lunch to school. Sandwiches without crust, or shepherd's pie, or whenever there was a little note stuck to his lunchbox that made Tony's cheeks go all read.

"That's from Jarvis," he'd say, "he's our butler, he likes to embarrass me."

The words always sounded incredibly fond. It was obvious how much Tony loved Jarvis even though he complained about him, or said that he lived to embarrass Tony, or that whatever he'd done this time wasn't special, that it was just a thing Jarvis did for all the Starks when the amazement in Tony’s voice made it clear that whatever had been done wasn’t a regular occurrence.

Bruce had always found in rather cute but knowing that and then hearing Tony's voice break on Jarvis's name means something’s horribly and irrevocably wrong.

"Jarvis, Jarvis, he, he passed away last night," Tony stammers, "I heard about it this morning from Obadiah. I'm not allowed to go to his funeral Bruce.” Tony’s voice breaks and he sobs quietly.

“Obie won't let me so I decided to run away. I've always had bags packed and cash stashed away for the day that I’d finally make a run for it. I guess this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” 

Tony wipes his eyes and sighs, “Fuck,” he scoots away from Bruce, “I’m sorry for dumping all this bullshit on you and dragging you away from home on the first day of Spring Break without any explanation.” Tony isn’t looking him in the eyes and his voice is soft.

“I’d understand if you want to go back home now,” Tony whispers.

Bruce takes Tony’s hand and Tony’s head snaps up. Bruce smiles hesitantly and says, “You’ve already unlocked my tragic backstory so I guess we’re kind of even,” Tony smiles, “I’m not going home Tony, I’ll stay with you.”

* * *

There’s no plan and, after the initial freakout about a loss of structure in his life that Bruce kind of appreciates, it’s all good.

Bruce sent his aunt a text about his whereabouts the first night and he hasn’t touched his phone since. It’s been off and on the nightstand of whatever motel they’re staying at. Tony and he have been driving around a lot these past few days. Visiting landmarks, laying in random fields to watch the sunrise or sunset. Sleeping in motels and sharing the bed. They haven’t talked about it and Bruce tends to wake up early so he always scoots back to his side of the bed and untangles himself when he wakes up in Tony’s arms. 

He wonders if there’s something there, on Tony’s side. He knows that on his side there is, has been for a while. He feels guilty for taking advantage of Tony in this sense, it feels wrong that they share a bed and hug and casually touch each other when Bruce so desperately wishes for every touch to mean  _ more _ .

Bruce has always wanted more than he knows he can realistically get, so he’s content to do nothing but wait and drift and enjoy living free with Tony.

* * *

Living life slow is something Bruce is unfamiliar with but he’s adapted very well. Tony, on the other hand, is still moving a mile a minute. He has sketchpads and an assortment of pens and markers in his backpack and sometimes he sits in bed and stays up all night designing and drawing and thinking about the future that he wants to create. Bruce tends to pretend that he’s asleep when Tony becomes immersed in his work like this. He likes to just lay in bed next to Tony and watch him work through half-closed eyes. He looks older somehow in the orange light of the bedside lamp. His curls cascading down his forehead and half-covering his eyes. His fingers are smudged with lead and ink and it smudges a little on his face when he swipes his hair back. Bruce wonders what it would be like to card his fingers through Tony’s hair. To comb it back for him and caress his face and share the soft intimacy that proximity creates.

Then Bruce turns around and closes his eyes and tells himself to get the fuck to sleep because thinking about your best friend like that is  _ wrong _ . 

* * *

They go to the beach one day. Tony has swim trunks packed and he likes to swim so he’s dragged Bruce along for a day at the beach. Bruce borrows a pair of Tony’s trunks and they leave their bags in the car, stuffed under the front seats as they go out. 

Bruce doesn’t mind the ocean, he likes the salty air and feels refreshed after a long day spent sitting at the beach and relaxing in the sun. 

Tony’s shirtless from the moment they step out of the car, he just leaves his shirt in the backseat and Bruce has to force his eyes away from the dip of Tony’s collarbone and the happy trail of thin brown hair that leads down to--.

“You okay?” Tony asks, “Your cheeks are like, really red.” Tony takes a step towards him and Bruce steps back.

“Y-yeah,” he stutters, “I’m alright.” 

Bruce makes a point of not letting his eyes wander after that.

At some point Bruce takes his shirt off too, to let the midday sun heat his skin. He knows Tony’s off somewhere, swimming and frolicking in the water. Bruce isn’t thinking about the way the water would make his skin glisten or how his wet hair would be covering his eyes and how Tony Stark becomes this weird combination of cute, pretty and handsome when he’s wet.

He’s not thinking about that at all, and he’s also definitely not staring at Tony.

Definitely not.

When Tony decides to come out of the water he tries to drag Bruce back into the waves with him. Bruce is reluctant at first, worried about their possession, but he lets himself be dragged. The sea is dark and muddled, the waves are first lapping at their feet and then they’re up to their waists in water. Tony was holding Bruce’s arm when he initially dragged him in and his hand has been steadily inching lower until he’d clasped Bruce’s hand in his own. Tony doesn’t acknowledge it and Bruce sure as hell isn’t going to.

“A little further,” Tony tells Bruce, “just a little.” And Bruce can’t get himself to say no. 

Tony’s half walking half swimming in front of him and Bruce’s eyes are drawn to Tony’s shoulders. They’re broad and tan and Bruce wasn’t aware that Tony was this muscular and now he can’t unsee it. Water drips from his hair and ran in rivulets down his back and Bruce follows it with his eyes.

Bruce is, obviously, not paying attention to their surroundings so when Tony stumbles and stops Bruce walks into him.

They fall over.

Bruce is underwater on top of Tony, slick skin against slick skin, and then they’re above water, looking at each other.

Tony starts laughing first and Bruce is right behind him. Tony splashes water at him and Bruce splashes back and before they know it, it devolves into a water fight. 

Bruce run-swims back to shore, Tony hot on his heels. Tony’s laugh is genuine and so incredibly riddled with joy that it makes something warm bloom in Bruce’s chest. Maybe he slows down a little, distracted by the sound, and it’s just enough for Tony to catch up and tackle him. They’re in the shallows now, so when Bruce falls he hits his chest on the sand. Bruce struggles to get Tony off of him but Tony’s strong and determined and Bruce isn’t struggling all that much because Tony’s pressed up against his back and he’s warm and Bruce  _ likes _ him. A lot.

Tony flips Bruce and cages him in underneath him. He’s giggling and panting and Bruce is too. The water is a little uncomfortable, flowing past Bruce’s ears but he doesn’t say anything about it. Too focused on Tony’s smiling face above him and his wet hair has droplets falling into Bruce’s face but he doesn’t  _ care _ . Because it’s  _ Tony _ and Bruce is lost.

Tony leans in close, his forehead rests against Bruce’s and Bruce is paralysed. He can do nothing but stare into Tony’s hazel eyes and let whatever happens happen.

Tony is so  _ so _ close to him now, Bruce can feel his breath on his face.

“Is this okay?” Tony asks and Bruce breathes, “Yes.”

Tony kisses him. His lips are wet and taste like sea salt. They’re soft and Bruce melts into him.

Bruce lifts his arms and pulls Tony closer to him. He finally  _ finally _ runs his fingers through Tony’s hair.

When they part the both of them are smiling wide and Tony says, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

That night they cuddle as they fall asleep and for the first time in forever, Bruce sleeps through the entire night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed! The next chapter will be up sometime in the coming week.


	3. The Sweeter the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _24 years later… In Stark Tower._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not all that satisfied with this but I've also lost some passion for this project. So here it is, the epilogue. Please enjoy

_ 24 years later… In Stark Tower. _

Tony is still trying to get used to this. Not the whole superhero thing, nor Captain America being alive, nor  _ aliens _ nor his near-death experience.

_ This _ refers to Bruce Banner in the bed next to him again. Bruce Banner, asleep in his arms again after 24 years.

They’d dated their last year of high school but because they were going to different universities they’d decided to break up. The last thing Tony had heard from Bruce was that he’d met a girl, Betty Ross, that he was falling for. The next thing Tony heard of Bruce was the fiasco surrounding the Hulk.

He hadn’t looked into it but when Ross asked him to make weapons to subdue the Hulk he had agreed. If just to keep an eye on things.

Seeing Bruce again on the helicarrier had been strange. Tony had seen Bruce, older now more world-weary than ever before, but with the same messy hair in a lab coat and he’d been instantly transported back to high school.

“It’s good to see you again, Dr Banner,” he’d said, “Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled,” Bruce looked him in the eye but Tony hadn’t been able to decipher the emotions behind the look, “And I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.” 

Bruce had chuckled and mumbled a, “Thanks,” under his breath but he hadn’t acknowledged Tony beyond that.

Later when they were alone Tony had invited Bruce to come stay at Stark Tower and Bruce had agreed, albeit reluctantly. Tony had the feeling that he’d take it back by the end of the crisis.

Tony really wanted Bruce to stay.

And he had. 

Once Loki and Thor had been sent back to Asgard Bruce had climbed into the car with him as Tony made to leave.

Saying, “You invited me to stay, right?” 

Tony had nodded and that’s how Bruce had come to live with him.

Initially, they didn’t talk about their shared past.

Tony had shown Bruce his floor and his lab and after that, the two of them didn’t see each other for a while. Both too engorged by their respective projects. When Tony, however, got a call from one Betty Ross. Tensions started rising.

They had both realised that they couldn’t avoid the conversation for forever but they both seemed somewhat willing to try.

Tension builds though. 

It pulls tighter and tighter and tighter until…

_ Snap. _

“You could have at least called!” Tony yelled. “You could have told me about everything that was happening! You could have confided in me, we were friends Bruce.”

“You don’t understand,” Bruce had growled, his eyes flashing green.

“Then fucking enlighten me.”

“You were working as a weapon’s contractor for the government. They. Wanted. To. Kill. Me!” Bruce had looked at Tony accusingly as if he’d wholeheartedly believed that Tony would have handed him off to the government like it was nothing. Like Bruce meant nothing to him.

Tony had taken a step back and his voice had been saturated with hurt when he said, "I didn't know your opinion of me was that low, Dr Banner."

He'd confined himself to his workshop after that not expecting Bruce to come down and talk to him. He didn't. But JARVIS also told him that Bruce hadn't left the tower, which sparked hope in Tony's chest.

They resolved their issues in the middle of the night. Tony was trying to sneak through the tower and get himself some coffee from the kitchen but JARVIS hadn't notified him that Bruce was there.

The first thing out of Bruce's mouth had been, "I'm sorry." Tony had cut him off with his own apology.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you for not contacting me. I gave up on us too and we hadn't spoken in so long when the Hulk happened. You couldn't have known how I would react and what my opinions were. Especially because I had been in contact with Ross about the Hulk."

"That might be the case but I should have trusted you. We knew each other and we were close. I was the one who stopped replying to you, and I was the one intent on leaving you behind me in the first place."

Knowing them they could have gone on for forever, so they decided to start fresh.

They started working together in the labs and bringing each other coffee (or tea) and food when neither of them had eaten in a while.

Tony had found it almost funny when they were back where they started, at the beach, in Malibu, looking out over the wide ocean.

They kissed there for the first time in 24 years a month or two later and when they returned to New York City it was with the embers of an old relationship being ignited.

That’s how they got here. With Tony waking up with Bruce in his arms.

Here, was gentle and slow and sweet.

With the sun shining through the Tower’s window and illuminating Bruce, making him even more ethereal.

They were taking it one day at a time, letting everything that happens happen.

No plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until the next work in this series!

**Author's Note:**

> [ My (fanfic) writing Tumblr](https://the--ghost--king.tumblr.com/)


End file.
